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#JobSearch : How To Tailor Your Resume/CV For The Executive Job Market. Great REad!

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Recruiters in search of their next executive-level candidate have high expectations. They are looking for someone who can make an impact and add real value to the business. With that in mind, you need to successfully prove that you’ve got what it takes.

Your CV is your first opportunity to impress them, so an entry-level application won’t cut it.  As you enter the executive job market, your CV needs to reflect not only your skills and experience but also your expertise and achievements.  Here are five key enhancements you can make to your CV to help you navigate the executive job market and secure your next exciting role.

Level up your skills

It’s time to go through your CV and remove entry-level skills and cliché phrases that no longer add value to your executive application.

Recruiters will assume that you have the basic skills as you’re applying for a more senior role, so don’t waste pressure space on simple transferable skills. Instead, emphasise core competencies that reinforce your suitability for an executive position.

For example, skills like team leadership, strategic planning, change management, decision-making and business development.

Of course, you should also do your best to match your executive skills to those listed on the job description as this will enable the recruiter to quickly determine that you’re a good match for the job.

Communicate your unique value

Before you begin writing your CV, take some time to think about what makes you stand out from other candidates; what you would consider your unique selling point (USP)? Once you know what it is that makes you special, you can market yourself more effectively on your application.

This enables you to build your personal brand and through keywords, facts and figures, you can communicate your unique value.

Start doing this right away in your personal profile, outline the experience or achievements that are most impressive. You can then build on this in your employment history.

Identifying your USP and focusing on this throughout can help you to stand out in a competitive job market and prove your executive-level competencies.

 

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What Skill Sets Do You Have to be ‘Sharpened‘?

 

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, Llc (FSC) is celebrating over 32 years in delivering corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, the UK, & Mexico!   Visit us @ www.firstsun.com  OR Ask for a Quote for Services at  info@firstsun.com

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Article continued …

Prove that your impact with results

It’s not enough to merely list your daily responsibilities, instead, your executive CV needs to prove that you can deliver results. You can do this by providing examples of achievements from your past roles and quantifying these wherever possible.

For example, you might have increases productivity by 25% within 6 months, or maybe you reduced department spending by £10,000 per month.

Whatever results you’ve achieved in each role, make sure you highlight them clearly to ensure that you prove the return on investment that a company will make from hiring you.

Add professional affiliations and credentials

As you grow and develop in your career, it’s likely that you’ll start adding professional affiliations, memberships and industry associations to your name.

So, as you update your CV, make sure to include information about these affiliations, for example, The Chartered Institute for IT or CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma.

These can help to show your professional development and credentials, as well as your dedication and involvement in your industry. This can also help you to stand out from other candidates, as roles become more competitive at an executive level.

If your professional credentials are particularly relevant, you might wish to put them alongside your name at the top of your CV or mention them in your profile.

Otherwise, you can include these in your employment section or even create a dedicated section for affiliations and memberships. But only do this if you have space.

Rethink your format and structure

Finally, in the early stages of your career, your CV might have been just a page long and it’s likely that you placed more focus on your education, hobbies or interests.

But at an executive level, your CV format should be two pages long, placing more focus on your experience and achievements in past roles. It also needs to be professional and polished and most importantly, easy to read.

Avoid choosing a design that is too colourful or ‘quirky’ and make sure you use a clean, easy-to-read font. You should also improve readability by utilising headings, sub-headings and bullet points, making it easier for the hiring manager to scan through and find the key information. And with 70% of businesses using ATS to filter out unsuitable CVs, be sure that relevant keywords are easy to spot for both robots and humans.

If you follow these steps to enhance your executive CV, you can increase your chances of standing out from the competition.

By choosing your content, keywords and power verbs carefully, you can showcase your unique value and effectively demonstrate your executive skillset, improving your chances of securing an interview.

 

Forbes.com | June 4, 2024 | Andrew Fennell

 

#JobSearch : 2021 Current Trends on Resume Length and Formats. Before you Write yours, REad this First!

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We are constantly asked questions about the right length for a resume or what are the current trends for resume formats. Executives who haven’t had to update their resume in a while have more questions than answers when it comes to formatting. The best executive resume formats change year-after-year, so it’s impossible to know how to craft one if you haven’t had to go on a job search in a while. Some of the same practices and concepts may still apply, but there are certain aspects you need to be aware of as well. Many executives find value in using a professional resume writing service to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest resume trends.

Here are some tips to consider regarding resume format and length.

Have More Than One Version

With technology today, you never know if a recruiter is going to look at your resume on their desktop computer or a mobile device. It’s important to have your resume formatted for easy reading on any device. It’s your choice whether your final version is in Word or PDF format, but it’s not a bad idea to have a copy of both. A professional resume writing service can help you make it clean and concise and compatible for viewing on all devices. Some experts suggest sending your resume as both a Word and PDF document, just in case the company uses an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

 

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Did you know?  First Sun Consulting, LLc (FSC) is celebrating over 30 years in the delivery of corporate & individual outplacement services & programs to over 1200 of our corporate clients in the U.S., Canada, UK, & Mexico!  

We here at FSC want to thank each of corporate partners in the opportunity in serving & moving each of their transitioning employee(s) rapidly toward employment !

Article continued …

White Space Versus Length

Length is always a question when writing resumes that get you hired. Executives have a little more flexibility than others, since most have an extensive list of experience. However, even though you may have a dozen pages worth of experience, it doesn’t mean your resume should be a dozen pages. Try to narrow it down to a couple of pages, if possible, while still including white space. No one wants to read a resume with blocks of text and very little white space. A professional resume writing service can help you combine certain points to make your resume more concise and still have enough white space to make it easy on the eyes.

Just remember NOT to use resume templates. Recruiters can spot these a mile away, and it is a sure way to get yours tossed. If you aren’t prepared to tackle writing your own resume, reach out to a professional resume writer who is experienced at writing for someone in your industry.

 

Keep it Clean & Concise

There is no standard when it comes to the best executive resume format. However, the one thing to always remember is to make yours as clean and concise as possible. A recruiter wants to pick up a resume and glance at it and do a quick overview before reading it in depth. If they have a hard time picking out key points because of big blocks or paragraphs of endless text, there’s a decent chance it will get tossed to the side without further consideration. Stick to a couple pages, include enough white space with a clean format, and you’ll improve the chances of getting noticed.

Just remember NOT to use resume templates. Recruiters can spot these a mile away, and it is a sure way to get yours tossed. If you aren’t prepared to tackle writing your own resume, reach out to a professional resume writer who is experienced at writing for someone in your industry.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

FSC Career Blog – August 30, 2021

#ResumeWriting : Executive Resume Targeting is More Important Than You Think . Targeting your Resume is Critical Today, and Here’s Why it’s So Important.

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What’s the first thing you think about when you start preparing or updating your resume? A common misconception today is thinking you have to craft your resume to be more general since you don’t know exactly what an employer wants to see.

The reality is hiring managers are looking specifically for people who understand their needs and have the skills and knowledge to solve their problems. The key to getting recognized is writing an effective resume geared toward acknowledging those specific needs and demonstrating why you have the skills they are looking for.

Targeting your resume is critical today, and here’s why it’s so important.

Targeting Doesn’t Limit Your Job Search

Your first thought when the best executive resume writers tell you to target your resume may be that you’re limiting your job search options. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all resume. Employers need to see specifically how you can help their current and future situation, so only including relevant information in your resume is critical. When writing an effective resume, your time is much better spent researching a potential employer and targeting the resume accordingly rather than trying to create a general resume to reach a wider audience.

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What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued … 

What to Do Before Writing Your Resume

The top resume writing services always suggest thinking hard about exactly what you want to do at your next job. Once you have your goals and desires set, you can search for potential employers that can help you achieve those goals. Take a look at what attributes and skills the company needs and identify where you can help them out the most. When writing your resume, be sure to demonstrate your brand clearly so the hiring manager will know exactly who you are, what you stand for and how you can help the company achieve its goals. 

Make Your Resume Stand Out

Hiring managers want to see you’ve done your research on them before sending in a resume. The best executive resume writers can help you with relevant keywords and phrases employers want to see. When you value the idea of working for an employer, the hiring manager will be able to see it and you’ll have a better chance of getting called in for an interview.

It can be difficult to wrap your mind around targeting a resume. While resume targeting has always been important, employers today take it much more seriously in their efforts to narrow down candidates to find the right fit. Take the time to make your resume a stand out by writing a targeted resume to show them you are the candidate of choice.

FSC Career Blog Author:  Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog |  May 28, 2020